2 Chronicles 2:1–18

Yahweh’s House Will Be Great

^11aThen Solomon ²decided to build a house for the name of Yahweh and a ³royal palace for himself.

²¹So ^aSolomon numbered 70,000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to hew stone in the mountains and 3,600 to direct them.

^3aThen Solomon sent word to ¹Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “^bAs you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, so do for me.

⁴“Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, setting it apart to Him as holy, ^ato burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out ^bthe showbread continually, and to offer ^cburnt offerings morning and evening, ^don sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of Yahweh our God, this being required forever in Israel.

⁵“Now the house which I am about to build will be great, for ^agreater is our God than all the gods.

⁶“But ^awho is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to ¹burn incense before Him?

⁷“So now, ^asend me a wise man to work in gold, silver, brass, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the wise men ^1bwhom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared.

⁸“^aSend me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and behold, ^bmy servants will work with your servants,

⁹to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful.

¹⁰“And behold, ^aI will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, ¹20,000 kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 kors of barley, and ²20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil.”

Covenant with Huram King of Tyre

¹¹Then Huram king of Tyre said in a letter ¹sent to Solomon: “^aBecause Yahweh loves His people, He has given you to be king over them.”

¹²Then Huram said, “Blessed be ^aYahweh, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, knowledgeable in insight and understanding, ^bwho will build a house for Yahweh and a ¹royal palace for himself.

¹³“So now, I am sending Huram-abi, a wise man, who is knowledgeable in understanding,

^14athe son of a ¹Danite woman and ²a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to devise any design which may be given to him, to work with your wise men and with the wise men of my lord David your father.

¹⁵“So now, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of ^awhich he has spoken.

¹⁶“^aAnd we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you on rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

¹⁷Then Solomon numbered all the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, ^afollowing the ¹census which his father David had ²taken; and 153,600 were found.

^18aAnd he made 70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 as hewers of stone in the mountains and 3,600 directors to make the people work.